Improvement in car-couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. C. HUNT, OF AMBOY, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 33,841, dated December 3, 1861.

To all whom it may concerni Be it known that I, H. O. HUNT, of Amboy, in the county of Lee and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figures. 1 and 2 are longitudinal central sections of my invention, Fig. 1 not having the link Within it, and Fig. 2 being provided with the link; Fig. 3, a plan or top view of the same; Fig. 4, a detached inverted plan of the link.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of car-couplings which are selfcoupling; and it consists in a novel arrangement of a hook, catch, and a spring, in connection with a link, all arranged as herein after described.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A A represents the draw-heads of two cars, the front ends of which are of flaring or bell form, and B is a hook, which is hung on an axis a and allowed to work or turn freely thereon. The form of th s hook is shown by its transverse section in Figs. 1 and 2. It may be described as being of C form, with a shoulder 19 at its upper surface.

0 is a \-'ertically-sliding catch, which works free y in grooves in the upper part of the draw-heads, and has a spring D bearing on its upper edge. This spring presses the catch 0 down on the upper part of the hook B, which is of semicircular form.

Within the back of the catch (J there is a notch c, in which the end of an arm cl on shaft E fits. The shaft E passes transversely through the upper part of the draw-head, (see Fig. 3,) and has a crank e at one end.

The hook B is fitted and works in a proper recess f in the draw-head, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. V

F is the link, which is of flat form with a hook g at each end, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. To the under side of this link there is attached a forked spring G, the form of which is shown clearly in Fig. 4. This spring serves to support the link in a horizontal position when secured in one draw-head only, the spring at one end bearing or resting on the lower part of the draw-head, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

The link F is retained in the draw-head by the upper edge of the hook B catching over the hooked end g of the link, as shown in Fig. 2, and when the disengaged or free end of said link is forced into the draw-head of an adjoining car the lower part of hook B is forced back until the shoulder 11 at the upper part passes in front of the catch, when the latter will be forced down behind the shoulder b by spring D, which position is shown in Fig. 2. Thus when two cars come in contact the coupling connects itself.

In order to disconnect the coupling, the shaft E of one draw-head is turned so as to raise the catch 0, and thereby admit of the hook B turning to liberate the link.

The coupling, it will be seen, is composed of but few parts, none of which are liable to get out of repair.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement of the spring G and hooked link F, with the curved oscillating hook B, vertically-sliding catch 0, vibrating arm d, and flaring draw-head A, the said parts being constructed and operating together in the manner herein shown and described.

II. C. HUNT.

Witnesses:

E. J. HUNT,

E. A. CLARK. 

